T-shirt alternatives? ETA Update - YouLookFab Forum

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T-shirt alternatives? ETA Update

Astrid

Veteran

I'm thinking about my spring and summer wardrobe and I haven't many options for warmer weather. I have a few T-shirts that are still looking alright, but most of my tees and tanks right now are only suitable for layering (or look very casual).

I'm not sure I want to wear exclusively T-shirts, it might be time time to branch out a bit. But I have a serious aversion to polyester and other synthetics, so that makes it quite difficult to find dressier looking tops nowadays. And I would love to continue to shop eco brands whenever possible and the one thing you can find there in abundance are cotton tees... Other natural fabrics are often quite expensive.

I need some inspiration. Any ideas what to look for? Or should I just stick to my casual tees?

ETA

Shopping

46 replies

Latest reply was from Laura

Anonymous

Have you looked at the tee shirts featured at Everlane.com? I'm not sure if they are exactly what you are looking for, but their fabrics are wonderful.

Did I misunderstand your question?

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Sterling. I'm basically looking for inspiration how I could amp up my spring summer style when it comes to tops (without breaking the bank). I like the look of Everlane, but they don't ship internationally.

gryffin

Veteran

Astrid - I don't wear tee shirts. I love the JCrew Jackie shell. https://www.jcrew.com/womens_c.....038;Nrpp=4 GREEN&isFromSearch=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row0 They last for years and fade only after long wear. I do dry clean my shells because they look nicer and don't fade as quickly however, they are always polished to my eye and they feel great on!! They are four season for me. Highly recommended especially on sale!!

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Joy

Veteran

How about tees with assymetrical hem lines? We have very hot summers and I am liking oversized tees in linen or silk, both of which I hand wash and dry on a hanger or flat. Rayon is another fabric to look for. Angie usually has some great tee-alternative finds.

ATLynn

Veteran

How do you feel about converted cellulose fibers?

I really liked woven rayon last year, in both tops and pants. It is cool and breezy and the woven fabric is more formal than a T shirt but more fluid than most woven cotton (and forgiving on my lumps - which isn't a problem you have. It does wrinkle (not as much as linen) and you have to wash on cold/line dry because it will shrink.

A lot of the Eco brands will have options in Rayon/Lycocell/Tencel. And on the fast fashion front, Topshop uses a lot of Rayon in tops/dresses and the H&M Conscious line (which might be a possible compromise for you) also does a lot in cellulose fibers.

K.M.

Veteran

I'm also averse to synthetics and I'm also (perhaps too much of) a T-shirt fan. I try to look for dressier t-shirts with embellished necklines, a mix of fabrics, interesting details and colors. J.Crew factory used to have some that were a linen blend with silk inserts that were beautiful and nice to the touch (but that was years ago). For me, nothing can beat the feel and breathability of cotton, plus the ease of care...

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

What about J.Crew linen tees and EF silk tops? Her tops are great for summer, really light and breathable, and also great day-to-evening wear.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Cotton and cotton-rich tops. Breezy Summer knitwear is a personal favourite.

harmonica

Veteran

How about a short sleeved shirt or blouse? They are a bit dressier than your usual tees, but still quite casual.

Something like this - with a short sleeve.
http://www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/W.....Shirt.html
Or this (without the see-through daisy trim): http://www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/W.....p.html?Nav

kkards

Veteran

i don't know any european brands to recommend, but l'd look for linen tops, also if i recall, hemp is often used by eco brands. and i wouldn't rule out wool, which is also increasing used by eco brands, and which can be lightweight and easy to care for. (the brands i know that do year round wool are smart wool, ibex and icebreaker, but i'm sure that there most be european brands that are doing it as well.)

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Instead of tees, button downs! I wear quite a lot of cotton button downs in summer. It means ironing, of course.

I like linen and linen blends for actual tees and for summer-weight knits. Bamboo might be another option for you.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Gryffin! That might an option on sale... Although of course the shipping might be a deterrent, not sure how much that would be.

Thanks Joy. I like silk mixed into something for the nice feel, but I don't think pure silk would be for me. I like the idea of linen or rayon. I'm going to look out for that.

Thanks ATLynn, that might be an option. I don't think I ever had anything made of rayon or any of the others before, but I could give it a try. I always line dry, so that wouldn't be a problem.

Thanks K.M.! I don't think I'm ever going to give them up completely, but I want to have some options. Especially with denim shorts and Birkenstock sandals my cotton tees feel too casual to me. It's not a bad look, but in that combination I'd prefer something dressier I think.

Gradfashionista, I love the look of EF especially, but that's not really in the budget. And I'd also prefer not to have to deal with international shipping.

Angie, thanks! I didn't even think of knitwear, but that might be a great option if it isn't overly hot if I find something that wears and washes well.

Thanks Harmonica! I like the first one - bonus points for no ironing.

Thanks Kkards, I just learned a new term, I had no idea what hemp was. You're right, I've seen some merino wool in spring/summer collections. I have both Icebreaker and Smartwool pieces, but only underwear and socks so far.

Thanks Suz. Not a fan of ironing, I fear. And the very neat looking button down isn't my style anyway. I think I would be very uncomfortable in that. What I can see is a relaxed button down that embraces the crease...

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Astrid - I wear a fair number of light weight cotton button downs in summer and do not iron them - also some linen/cotton blends I do not iron. I wash them and put them in the dryer only long enough to fluff them and get them warm, then hang them up to dry. I use a spray bottle to mist water on them if they are a bit wrinkled. Not every cotton button down is the same but I've had good luck with some from BR, many from jcrew and a few from Gap or other places. I also like light silk wovens and silk cotton blends which wrinkle less in my experience.

Patterns will hide wrinkles better than solids.

Minnie

Fairtragen in Bremen has a pretty good selection of natural fiber clothing

Sal

Veteran

I like light weight long sleeve woven cotton tops, mostly pullover. I have two, one White broiderie anglaise (not sure if that is a universal term, but embroidered all over in a repetitive same colour pattern), one printed Indian cotton.

I used to have a People Tree woven cotton top I loved, but going to the gym made it start to pull in the shoulders. people tree is available through ASOS I think.

I do wear tees but with caution, as they can wear out quickly, and can be unflattering on me. It is hard to know in advance which ones will keep their shape and which will stretch out or shrink in length.

Inge

(website)

How about (sleeveless and sleeved) linen tops and blouses in natural fabrics (different silhouettes, patterns, colour blocked styles, asymmetrical detailing,... to get a bit more variety), Astrid? The last few years, Zara, Massimo Dutti and Esprit all had some great options.

Oh, and I second Angie's suggestion for light-weight knitwear. I wear that often in Spring and Summer.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think looking for lightweight woven tops, of all kinds of silhouettes, is a good option. They tend to look a bit sharper than tees and are usually cooler than knits.

Helena

Veteran

Astrid, I'm from the other side; I love my tees but am learning to be more particular about fit and fabrication ... that might be another way to upgrade your t-shirt look.

Inge

(website)

ETA: here are some examples. The Zara ones are on sale right now.
It's still a little early for short sleeves and sleeveless styles, but I'm sure they'll be popping up on the websites soon enough.

Textured Stripes T-shirt

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T-shirt With Central Seam

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T-shirt With Back Buttons

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Striped T-shirt With Sleeve Detail

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T-shirt With Tricot Collar

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0

T-shirt With A Positional Print

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T-shirt With Positional Stripes

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Cotton And Silk Floral Shirt

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Shirt With Sheer Details

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Combined Striped Shirt

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Large Silk Blouse With Placket Detail

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Ecru Silk Shirt

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Striped Overshirt With Contrast Cuffs

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Geometric-print Silk Large Blouse

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Button-neck T-shirt

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Polka Dot Silk Top

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Mao Collar Silk Blouse

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Sal

Veteran

oops double posted...

Gaylene

Veteran

Linen T-shirts and open weave knits are my favorite summer tops, along with the occasional fine cotton woven top. My only cotton T's are a silky cotton that is substantial enough to drape well so the tops look more like a light sweater than a T-shirt.

I'm not usually a fan of rayon--often feels too flimsy to me-- or silk (unless it is a fine silk knit that is easy to wash). Bamboo and hemp are interesting, but the designs often aren't to my liking.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Texstyle! I don't have a dryer, but I might try the waterbottle. Good tip about the patterns.

Thanks Minnie - I don't think I'm going to be in Bremen anytime soon, but I saw that there's an online shop.

Thanks Kiwigal! I have never ordered from People Tree before, but it's actually a good option and shipping from the UK isn't a big problem.

Thanks Inge! Thanks for looking up some tops for me. I don't shop at Zara, but these are great examples. Massimo Dutti is a bit too expensive for me. I shopped a lot at Esprit a few years ago, but I actually feel like they have gotten rather overpriced, especially looking at the fabrics. Still lovely styles of course, but the only way I've been shopping Esprit lately is on sale.

Thanks Laura. I'll keep that in mind. I agree that knits might be too warm, depending on weather.

Thanks Torontogirl! That's definitely a good idea. I don't mind the look of T-Shirts depending on outfits and the right fabric or detail might make all the difference. For example I found this basic tee below in an online shop. It's a hemp and cotton mixture and if you look at the close up it has a rather nice texture going on. Something like that (available in different colors) might be a nice replacement of my simple solid cotton tees.

Thanks Gaylene! I agree, I don't like a lot of the styles made out of natural fabrics either. It's just not my look. But I think I should be able to find some styles I like, with a bit of patience.

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Daria

Astrid - how about cotton/silk blend?
Brooke Brothers and Coldwater Creek both have nice options:
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/.....lt,pd.html
http://www.coldwatercreek.com/.....01302340.h
I don't have personal experience with either of them yet though.

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Daria. A cotton silk blend sounds lovely, although those two brands aren't an option for me - Coldwater Creek doesn't ship internationally and Brooks Brothers is too expensive.

Astrid

Veteran

I just found some lovely looking linen tees that are cropped and look like they could be perfect over skirts. I think I'm definitely going to save these in the bookmarks...

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Elizabeth P

Veteran

I don't know how you feel about, or if you have access to, Banana Republic, but I just got this linen tee, and it has a really nice fit and drape to it. Comes in a gazillion colours too.

Banana Republic

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Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Elizabeth! We do have an EU website of BR and GAP. That one looks nice, but don't like v-necks that much on me. They don't seem to have it with other necklines.

Anonymous

Astrid -- if you have time in the future, I would be interested in knowing what you eventually settled on. I like the idea of cropped tee shirts. They seem fresh to me. And they would look great with skirts. Good luck.

abc

Veteran

I ended up getting a couple of BR linen tees that I hope up my game instead of regular cotton tees. We'll see. I'm interested in what you end up getting as well.

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